Harry Potter: Blood Ties

AN: There is some text in color. This doesn't belong to me but I thought it would fit in with the story. I will cite it at the bottom!"


         Flourish and Blots was unusually crowded. It seemed as if the whole of Hogwarts was there to get their books. Hermione, it seemed to Harry, was having extreme difficulty finding her Arithmancy book. They had waited far too long to get their books. "Just ASK, Hermione." Ron said, exasperated. He, Harry, and Ginny were ready to go pay. They were just waiting for her.
         "Oh- Fine." She said and walked up to a store clerk just as another girl did. The clerk looked from Hermione to the stranger and said, "Help you?"
         "Do you still have Numerology and Gramaticia v.3?" They said in unison. Hermione looked at the Girl to find that they were wearing identical expressions of surprise. The clerk asked them to wait while he got two copies from the back and the Girl said, "Well, that was interesting."
         "I'll say. And you are?" Hermione asked.
         "Lara Riddle." She said, extending her hand. Harry jolted. Riddle. But this girl- Lara- was American.
         "Hermione Granger." She replied shaking Lara's' hand. "This is Ron and Ginny Weasly, and Harry.... well, Harry Potter." She gestured to each of them in turn.
         Lara's' eyes, one green one a dark, deep brown, didn't even perform the oh-so-common flick up to his scar when she shook his hand, though he did notice that she wore a black cuff around her wrist like some muggle teenagers did. 'She must be muggleborn.' He thought.
         "... Hogwarts?" Lara was saying, bringing Harry out of his thoughts.
         "Yes." Hermione said. "Me Ron, and Harry are in sixth year. Ginnys' in fifth." Lara had obviously asked if they went to Hogwarts. Lara smiled.
         "Good. At least I'll know somebody's name."
         "Your going to Hogwarts?" Ron asked loudly as the clerk handed them their books.
         "Yes," Lara said with a nod of thanks to the clerk. " Sixth year."
         "I've never seen you before. Are you a Ravenclaw or Huffelpuff?" Ron replied.
         "I'm not sure yet, you see, my f- father just got transferred here. I'll go through the sorting with the first years." They all had their books so they checked out and turned to leave. As Harry opened the door a cold drawling voice asked from behind them, "So, Potter, is this one a mudblood or a mudblood lover?"
         Harry turned. Draco Malfoy was standing behind them with Crabbe, Goyle, and his usual sneer. "Let her ALONE." Hermione snapped, but Lara walked past Hermione right up to Malfoy.
         "Lets see..... to skinny, absurdly pale, and a head full of-... nothing. You MUST be a Malfoy." The look that came over Malfoy's' face was one of pure shock. Lara leaned in closer to him. "And by the way, I wouldn't eat any ice cream today if I were you.” She said this loud enough for everyone around them to hear, and then turned on her heal, hitting him in the nose with the tip of her ponytail. Malfoy just looked at her. "How did she...." He trailed off. Crabbe and Goyle just stared at him vacantly.

         Once the five were out of Flourish and Blots, they erupted into uncontrollable laughter at the look on Malfoy's' face. It was almost comparable to his brief stint as a ferret in their fourth year.
         They arrived at the Leaky Cauldron and Ron composed himself long enough to introduce Lara to his mother, Molly Weasly. Then, Harry told Lara the Ferret Story and she was soon laughing as hard as they were. Ron's older twin brothers Fred and George were there. They had graduated the previous year and now owned Weasleys Wizarding Weezes, a joke shop with two locations, Hogsmead, and Diagon Alley. A joke shop that, in under a year, had come to rival Zonkos. Fred and George fondly remembered the incident as well, and soon all seven of them were practically rolling on the ground, Mrs. Weasly scowling at them.
         "Now really Ron." She said. "I know you don't like him, but the poor boy could have been hurt."
         "So?" Ron asked, erupting once again into roaring laughter. Molly could do nothing but shake her head.

         Lara, it turned out, was staying at the Leaky Cauldron just like everyone else. Her parents had dropped her off, much to Molly's dismay, because she had hoped to meet them. They all ate around three tables that had been put together. They had been joined by Mr. Weasly who had been given the evening and next morning off from his duties as Minister of Magic to see his son and daughter off to school.
         Lara and Hermione were sitting together talking about Human Transfiguration. Lara had done some at her school in America and Hermione was bursting with questions as they didn't start it till sixth year at Hogwarts. Harry, Ron, and Ginny were talking about Gryffindors improved chances at the Quidditch cup now that Ron was out of his rookie year as Keeper. But they needed Beaters. Fred and George had been their beaters, but now they had graduated.
         "How 'bout it Lara?" Ron asked from the opposite end of the table. " Would you like to be a Gryffindor Beater?"
         "I'll have to be in Gryffindor, but sure, why not." She replied, and went back to her explanation of Conjunctions Charms.
         "Harry..... Look." Ron said. The Malfoy's had just walked in along with Crabbe and Goyle and demanded a private parlor. Harry didn't understand what WHY Ron had pointed out such a pointless happening until he whispered. "Harry, look at Malfoy's' shirt!"
         Ginny and Harry both took in sharp breaths. Malfoy had ice cream spilled down the front of his shirt.

         Ron and Harry hurried up to the room they were sharing, During his fifth year, Harry had finally been granted permission to move in with the Weasleys. His only living relatives, who just happened to be the worst kind of muggles, were happy to see him go.
         "Do you think she's a seer Harry?" Ron asked, sinking down onto his bed. "A TRUE seer?"
         "Maybe, " Harry said. "Aren't they as rare as Parselmouths?" He asked. Although he had lived in the wizarding world for almost a full year, being brought up by muggles still left him a little behind the rest.
         "Not so rare." He said flopping back on his pillow. "They come along one or two every century. I don't know very much about it though."
         "Well, " Harry said sitting down. "I REFUSE to ask Professor Trelawney about it." Trelawney was their Divination teacher, and most of the time she seemed like a right old fraud. Ron laughed and took on her misty voice. "Do you feel you have the makings of a seer, Harry?" They both laughed.
         There was a knock at the door. It cracked open and Mrs. Weasly stuck her head in. "Bedtime boys. You have to get up for school tomorrow."
         They quickly cleaned up and dressed for bed. Ron accidentally walked past the mirror without a shirt on and it squealed. He quickly shushed it. He would hear no end to it if Harry found out that their bedroom mirror had taken a fancy to him.

         Harry woke up the next morning because something was pecking at his ear. Hedwig, his snowy owl, was nibbling at him, begging for owl treats. Ron was still snoring on the other side of the room so he watched the sunlight filter in through the curtains.
         Suddenly the door door burst open and Ginny was standing in the doorway. "RON! Harry it's time to get up." Ron jumped about a foot off his bed. She smiled and said, "Good morning Harry."
         He tried not to blush when she turned her smile on him. For four years, she had just been Ron's Little Sister Ginny. She was now fifteen, and very pretty. He enjoyed her company more than he would ever admit to Ron.
         "Morning Ginny." He replied. She closed the door and Ron sat up, bleary eyed as usual in the morning.
         "School?" He asked. Harry nodded.

         Having packed the night before, all they had to do was dress. They went downstairs and joined Hermione, Ginny who were already eating breakfast. They ran into Lara on their way down to breakfast. She entered the little restaurant right before them and on their way to the table she adjusted a seat. As they were sitting down, a witch with a screaming baby who wasn’t paying any attention to anything else sat down in that chair. Ron realized that if Lara hadn’t moved it the witch would have fallen in the floor. He looked at Harry, expecting to see a mirror of his expression, but Harry hadn't noticed. Harry was looking at ... Ginny?

         They arrived at Kings Cross and Mr. Weasly quickly explained to Lara how to get onto platform 9 3/4. "You just walk through the wall between platforms nine and ten." He told her. She nodded.
         Mr. Weasly went throughout to the platform first followed by Mrs. Weasly and Ginny, then Hermione and Ron, leaving Lara and Harry. "Ladies first." He told her. She smiled and pushed the cart with her luggage through. He followed her and the wall materialized into Platform 9 3/4. They quickly loaded their things and managed to snag a compartment for themselves.
         "I'm sorry I didn't make you kids sandwiches for your trip." Mrs. Weasly said.
         "Don't worry Mum." Ron said. "We can get something on the train. I've still got some money left." He had worked for his brothers over the summer, and earned a fair amount, but spent most of it on Hermione's birthday present, a thin silver chain, which she was wearing around her wrist.
         They all hugged Mrs. Weasly- even Lara who had been standing back trying not to ruin the family goodbye. The whistle blew and they hurried to their compartment. "Maybe you two ladies can come to The Burrow for christmas." Mrs. Weasly told Hermione and Lara.
         "Thanks Mrs. Weasly." They both said, waving.
         During their journey, they talked about their summers, America, and, their pets. Harry and Ron both had owls, Hedwig and Pigwidgeon. Hermione and Ginny had cats, Crookshanks and Thomas, and Lara had a ferret, named Lani after her grandmother.
         "What classes are you taking this year?" Ron asked, abruptly changing the subject as Pig, as he so nicely nicknamed his teeny owl, began squawking. Ron threw a set of robes over the cage to shut him up.
         "Well, potions," All four of them wrinkled their noses. "Transfiguration and History of Magic. And Arithmancy, Divination, and Care of Magical Creatures."
         "I hope you're in my Arithmancy class." Hermione said.
         "If she's in your stupid house, she will be." said a cold voice from the doorway. They all looked up. Draco Malfoy stood in the door, flanked, as always, by Crabbe and Goyle.
         "Get OUT Malfoy." Ron hissed.
         "So, Weasly, now that your dads Minister, do you have clothes that fit you properly?" Malfoy asked, never taking his eyes off of Lara who was still sitting quite comfortably. "How did you know?" He asked her as Ron fumed.
         "About what?" She asked, looking furiously innocent. He took a step closer and put his face right next to hers, their noses almost touching.
         "The ICE CREAM!“ He hissed.
         "Lucky guess." She whispered back gently and brought her wand up between his eyes. "Bloomiferin." she whispered.
         Malfoy's' eyes opened wide as bright pink flowers sprouted from his ears.
         Hermione’s mouth dropped open. Ginny looked shocked, while Harry and Ron rolled on the floor laughing uproariously.
         "Come on." Malfoy said to Crabbe and Goyle, trying unsuccessfully to remove the flowers from his ears.
         "Oh." Lara said, adding insult to injury. "Do something about that breath will you?" Ron, who had almost begun breathing normal again, fell back into the floor, laughing hysterically.

         By the time they reached Hogsmead Station they had changed into their robes. Lara privately thought Harry was quite dashing in his. A thought she would never share with another living soul.
         They climbed into the carriages and were off. Lara had already been to the castle, so therefore didn't need to ride with Hagrid and the first years on the boats.
         When they reached the door to the entrance hall, Mrs. Norris, the caretakers cat, was waiting with Professor McGonagal, the Transfiguration teacher.
         "Oh," Lara said upon spotting Mrs. Norris, "What a cute cat." She leaned over and extended her hand for Mrs. Norris to sniff, but the cat reacted by hissing and spitting; its hair standing up, it ran back into the castle.
         "That cat doesn't like anyone." Ron said. But still, a slight look of sadness and confusion tinged her face as she hugged her arm close to her.
         As the students filed in, McGonagal pulled Lara aside and told her to wait at the back of the room and she would be called up at the end of the Sorting. "Oh." Lara said still looking, in Harrys opinion, a bit shaken. "Thank you Professor."
         They walked into the Great Hall and Lara stopped in the entryway opposite the caretaker Filch, who's cat took one look at her and ran off. Harry, Ron, and Hermione went and sat down at the Gryffindor table, greeting friends along the way. She looked around at the huge room. A ceiling, enchanted to look like the sky, whatever the sky looked like at present and candles suspended to give it light. Four long tables stretching almost the full length of the room, one for each house, and a long table running the width of the room at the head of the tables for the teachers. She tried to study it more, but was becoming increasingly aggravated. She could feel Malfoy's' eyes boring into her.
         She endured it until McGonagal walked in with the first years when it became to much. She snapped her head around and locked her eyes onto his, allowing him to see her aggravation. He stared at her for another second, then looked at McGonagal, who was reading the names of first years who needed sorting. All of the new students sat on the stool, varying degrees of nervousness on their faces, and had the Sorting Hat placed on their heads. The hat would then announce the house they would be in. Gryffindor, Huffelpuff, Ravenclaw, or Slytherin.
         The last of the first years was sorted and, before the stool and Hat were put away, Professor Dumbeldore stood up. "Welcome, to another year at Hogwarts. Before I allow myself to be lured away by thoughts of a magnificent feast, I would like to announce that joining us this year from America, we have Lara, who is in her sixth year. I trust you will all welcome her properly. Lara, if you would please come foreword."
         She walked to the front between the Gryffindor and Ravenclaw tables. She sat on the stool and McGonagal placed the Sorting Hat on her head. Almost immediately she could feel it working through her mind.
         'Listen up, Hat.' she told it mentally. 'If you put me in Slytherin, I'll cut you to pieces and no one will ever find them.'
         'Just like the Potter boy.' The Hat replied in a low, gravely mind voice. He then said in a voice quite the same, "You, my dear Lara, should be in Gryffindor."
         The whole Gryffindor table cheered, Harry, Hermione, Ron , and Ginny the loudest. Lara turned, smiled at Dumbeldore, and went and sat between Harry and Hermione. Dumbeldore then proceeded to explain the rules: There were to be absolutely NO screaming frisbees and the Forbidden Forest was completely off limits.
         "And without further to do, lets eat." Dumbeldore said, his eyes twinkling, perhaps hearing the growling of Ron's stomach.
         Lara was a bit surprised by how the food just appeared on the plates, but she immediately forgot. The food was delicious, and while they laughed and ate, Lara watched Draco Malfoy watching her.

         The next day during their first, and quite nasty, double potions, Lara and Hermione were trying to get their Sight Enhancing potion to thicken when Lara winced and looked at Professor Snape who, almost imperceptibly, shook his head. "I'll be right back Hermione." She said and left, looking shaken. Ron noticed, and pointed out to Harry, that Malfoy's eyes were following her leave.

         Lara returned in time to take the potion, which was supposed to make your eyes as sharp as a cats, but Neville Longbottom and Dean Thomas' made them blind. Neville was notoriously bad at potions, but no one really blamed him. Snape disliked anyone who wasn't a Slytherin, of which he was Head of House, and he encouraged them to do as poorly as possible.
         Lara drank hers. It tasted of tar. Fighting not to gag, she closed her eyes slowly shook her head a bit, and then looked around in amazement. She could see every nook and cranny of the dungeon. Harry pulled on her sleeve, pointing at Hermione and Ron, who were studying each other with livid interest. Lara choked back her giggles and looked at the other students. Neville and Dean running into things, Lavender and Parvati staring at their reflections with wonder saying, "Oh, look, there's no cover up there,". Then over to the Slytherin side of the room Pansy Parkinson and her friends completely giddy over the sight of Draco Malfoy who was ignoring them in favor of looking intently at Lara. She looked back for a moment, then raised an eyebrow and wiggled a finger in her ear. He sneered and looked away, as thought disgusted.

         "Where did you go?" Ron asked, looking around the halls in wonder. Their Sight Enhancing potion hadn't completely worn off yet. Harry still didn't need his glasses
         "To see Madam Pomfry, I had a migraine. They come on REALLY suddenly." They walked into their History of Magic classroom and sat down, Harry waving to Hannah Abbot and Ernie McEllen from Huffelpuff.
         If no one had warned her that Professor Binns was a ghost, Lara would have quite fallen out of her chair when he came floating throughout the chalkboard. Oh his way towards his podium he stopped in front of her. "By God," He said, blinking rapidly. "You look just like your Father."
         Hermione eyes widened, as did Laras', but Lara looked scared. Hermione was shocked. Professor Binns couldn't even remember her NAME, and he could remember Laras' father?

         That evening, just after dinner, Lara picked up her brand new Firebolt 5000 and headed to the Quidditch field for Beater Try Outs. She had decided to tryout alongside Ginny after much pushing from Ron. Beaters tried out in twos and the best team made it. She had always enjoyed Quidditch, so she figured she might as well go ahead.
         She met Ginny on the Quidditch Pitch and they trudged out onto the field where Harry, the team captain and Seeker, and Ron, the Keeper (acting as his adviser), were waiting. Only three other pairs had showed up. Two seventh year boys, a pair of fifth year girls, and a pair that was a third year boy and a fourth year girl.
         Once they were all assembled, Harry asked, "Does everyone know the rules?" When they all answered affirmative, he said "I have a box here with seven bludgers in it. I have a Beater Club for all of you. I have my Chasers." When he said this, Seamus Finnigan, Dean Thomas (who's' eyes were much better thank you), and Colin Creevy stepped forward. "The Beater Pair that the chasers say keep them safest will make the team, then we'll start the reserve list. Everyone got it?" They all nodded. He handed each of them a Club.
         "Okay," Ron said. "Jon and Eric, Your up first." The seventh year boys mounted their brooms and pushed off. "If a Bludger comes towards us, knock it away." Ron said quietly to the people on the ground.
         Jon and Eric did a fair job, then the fifth year girls, Mel and Josie, did terrible. The Boy- Girl pairing of Jaina and Jason was going to be hard to beat though, and Lara and Ginny both knew it as they mounted their brooms.
         "I'M OPENING THE TRUNK." Ron yelled from the ground.
         Lara closed her eyes and listened. There was a whoosh and she zoomed towards the people who were waiting and knocked the bludger away before it could hit them. They all gasped, why hadn't they thought to protect the people on the ground? Ginny was taking charge in the air and twice saved Colins head from being knocked off. Laras' flying style was smooth, and she almost BENT the broom, allowing her to turn impossible angles to beat a bludger. Dark hair flying out behind her, she did a loop under Dean and knocked a bludger through a goal post. "Ten points!" Dean yelled.
         Ginny had to dive deeper than a wronski feign to save Seamus, but managed, earning her a low whistle and a, "Why didn't you tell me your sister was so good?" from Harry to Ron. Lara shot up into the sky and beat one away from Colin with such force that it was imbedded into the ground for a few seconds. Harry spoke into his megaphone. "Time."
         Lara, Ginny, and the chasers flew to the ground. "I'll post the new members and reserve on the back of the Fat Lady sometime this week. You all may want to shower now."

         The next morning on the back of the Fat Lady's picture was a piece of parchment bearing the words : R: Reserve- Jaina/ Jason. Team- Lara/ Ginny

         A week later in Transfiguration, which Gryffindor STILL had with Slytherin, Malfoy was having trouble. Perhaps it was because Crabbe, who was sitting next to him, had a hacking cough that kept breaking his concentration, but it was probably because he couldn't see why anyone would want to turn a raccoon into a jewelry box in the first place.
         "Mr. Malfoy, I'm afraid I'm going to have to assign you a tutor." McGonagal told him.
         "A tutor?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.
         "Yes." She said, looking at him sternly. She then looked around the room and picked out her best student, passing Hermione because of trouble she’d had with Malfoy in the past. "Lara."
         Lara walked over to her. "Yes Professor?"
         "Do you know Draco Malfoy?" McGonagal asked.
         Lara looked at him and smirked. "We've met."
         "I would like for you to tutor him, he is having trouble with today's lesson. Tutor him until you are instructed to stop." She gave them both a look that gave no room for argument or compromise.
         "Yes Professor." They both said, neither of them happy about it.

         "You have to tutor Malfoy?" Ron asked, astonished.
         "Yes." Lara said. "And if he fails to show up, McGonagal's going to give him detention for two weeks."
         "What time do you have to meet him?" Harry asked, looking up from his homework.
         "7:30," She said," In which case, I should probably get going. Wish me luck."
         "Luck." They said in unison. She smiled and shook her head, their laughter following her out the door.

         She met Malfoy outside the Transfiguration classroom. He looked less than pleased to see her. "Lets get this over with." He muttered and walked into the classroom.

         Thought he never would have admitted to it, Malfoy was impressed. Lara was a very unorthodox tutor. She sat on desks and, though she showed him what he did wrong, she would NOT do it for him as some tutors would. Another thing he would never admit is that he understood it the way she explained it.
         She turned his slightly misformed jewelry box back into a raccoon and then asked, "Why do you hate Harry so much?"
         "Why do you care?" He shot back.
         She shrugged. "It's just a very intense feeling. I didn't know hate that powerful -and pointless- was possible.
         Malfoy glared at her for a moment. "How would you know what I'm feeling?"
         She sighed. "Mostly because I'm an empath, but you also think about it REALLY loud."
         "Your telepathic?" He asked. Though he kept a straight face, surprise registered in his cool gray eyes.
         "Lets just say I'm multi gifted." She said quickly, unsure of why she’d said anything.
         "Do you REALLY want to know why I hate Potter so much?" He asked, standing up and leaning across his desk. She was uncomfortable in a way she couldn't describe at having him so close but she nodded. "Read my mind." He told her.
         "No thank you." She said.
         "Come- on." He said, leaning a bit closer. "You afraid you might like it?"
         "I doubt it." She said, but put her middle fingers on his temples. She closed her eyes and began searching his mind slowly. He had a strong will, though there was nothing surprising about that. He loved his Mum, hated pickles, loved Quidditch. He was very intelligent. There was no reason he should need a tutor, and then she found it. He hated Harry so much because- and then another memory surfaced in its place. A memory of a dream he'd had. She pulled her hands away and her eyes flew open, "Ugh!" She said. "You didn't REALLY have that dream about the women's Quidditch team, did you?"
         "Stay out of my head." He snapped, sitting down.
         "Not like I didn't have an invitation." She said, crossing her arms over her chest.
         "Oh, don't huff at me." He said, glaring.
         "I'll huff if I want." She told him. "Why are you so bitter?"
         His face lost its angry aura and became very still. "Why do you care?"
         "Because I think it's got something to do with your father."
         "You don't know a THING about my father!" He yelled. He turned on his heal, leaving her with her thoughts, questions, and a shell-shocked raccoon.

         Lara didn't tell anyone about their conversation, that would have been an invasion on Malfoy's privacy. Ron however, saw things differently. He begged and begged to know what they had talked about (and she suspected, DONE) when she returned looking a bit shaken and red in the face.
         "No Ron," She said firmly," It's none of your business."
         "If I can humiliate Malfoy in front of the whole school, it IS my business."
         "No , Ron, It's not." She said, looking him in the eyes. "I don't know how much he's hurt you in the past, but it's not his fault he's such an unsatisfactory person."
         Lara left Ron standing alone in the middle of the common room chewing on the inside of his cheek.

         Lara, Ron, and Harry waited patiently outside North Tower for their first Divination lesson. Professor Trelawney (whom Lara had already heard the horror
stories about) had had a cold the first week of term and couldn't teach lessons.
         The rest of the class was standing there with them. This was largely due to the fact that the trap door wouldn't open, so they couldn't climb up into their classroom.
         "Is she always late?" Lara asked looking very bored. Harry shook his head and Lavender and Parvati gave her homicidal expressions. After a few moments the trapdoor finally opened, extending its silvery ladder. They all climbed up and Harry, Ron, and Lara sat in armchairs at the same table.
         "Welcome." Professor Trelawney said from behind Laras' chair. "To a new year, and a warm welcome to our new student, Lara." Everyone looked at her and she gave them all a very cheesy smile and waved.
         "For the beginning of this term, we will be revisiting old methods of divination. Tea leaves, palmistry, the Crystal ball and planetary Divination. I know it sounds like a lot, but we will not dwell on one thing long, you will all understand it quite quickly. Then we will learn Ophimancy- the study of snakes, Ceromancy- which is dripping candle wax into water, and then Macharomancy, which is the study of swords, daggers, knives, and other kinds of blades."
         "All right. "Trelawney said, looking a bit stressed. "Partner up and get your cups, I will pour your tea. Drink the tea until only the dregs remain. Swill the cup around three times with your left hand and turn it upsidown on your saucer. Allow the rest of the tea to drain away, then give it to your partner to read."
         Since there was an odd number of students in the class, Lara worked with Ron and Harry. They drank their tea, let it drain, then passed their cups clockwise. There was a rustling of paper as everyone looked in their books for anything that might help them remember what they had learned three years previous, so when Lara looked into Ron's cup, everyone stopped and listened.
         "Luck." She began, slowly rotating it to the right. "Happiness, gold, love, but you're going to get a cold next week."
         Harry and Ron looked at her as though she had sprouted an extra eye, Lavender Brown and Parvati Patil were giving her expressions of utmost horror. "That’s what the cup says." She told them all, wondering what had gotten into them.

         She met Malfoy outside the Transfiguration room that evening and he looked, if possible, more displeased to see her than the day before. "Don't look at me like that" She said.
         "Like what?" He asked, the faintest glimmer of a smirk on his lips.
         She fought very hard against her better judgment, which was to hit him, and finally won. "Look." She said, shaking her head. "Just Transfigure your raccoon properly and we can leave."
         He nodded. "Fine."
         They sat for twenty minutes, and he almost had it perfect when he asked, "You didn't tell anyone, did you." And thought it was more a statement than a question, she shook her head and replied. "It's your story to tell."
         They sat in silence for a moment then she figured that since he already hated her, it would be safe to ask, "What did your father do to you?"
         "WHY DO YOU BLOODY CARE?" He asked, showing more emotion in one outburst than she had seen frown him in all of the weeks that she'd known him.
         "Because I feel your pain every time you look at me. Needless to say, its a bit unpleasant. And believe it or not I might be able to relate."
         "Bugger this." He muttered, then asked, "How could you know?"
         "You'd be surprised." She replied, so scathingly that it did surprised him just little. he had taken her as just another goodie goodie for Potters Justice League, but maybe there was something more. "What happened to you?" She asked again.
         "Tell me about you first." He said, lounging back in his chair.
         "No. It's none of your business."
         "And my family's yours?" He shot back.
         "Your family's much more accepted by society than mine." She snapped.
         "We do have quite a commanding presence, don't we?"
         "You are impossible Draco Malfoy." She said. She savored his startled expression as she got off her desk and walked towards the door. He stood. "Wait." She turned and looked at him. He hadn't meant to say it, it had just.... slipped out.
         "What?" She asked.
         "What do you mean I'm impossible?"
         "You have a problem with running away from your emotions." She looked at him and he had the distinct feeling she was reading his mind again. "Stay OUT of my head.
         "I'm not in your head." She snapped. "But I found out yesterday that you fathers rich and powerful and you think he cares more about cherry wood than he cares about you."
         "He does." Malfoy said before he could stop it.
         "It hurts you so much." She said. He was surprised to see that there were tears glistening in her eyes. "If you TELL someone, get it out, you'll feel better.”
         "Do you really want to know?" He asked jumping up. He walked over, coming to a stop only inches away from her. When he spoke, she could feel his breath on her face. "When I was ten, my Father locked me in our dungeon for three weeks- straight."
         "Why?" Lara asked, dumbfounded by the hate and rage that was pouring off of him.
         "Because I put a dent in the door of the fencing room while we were practicing." He grabbed her upper arms and pulled her even closer. "And he used the Craticus Curse on me every day I was down there."
         His grip on her arms had become painful. "Draco... I, what about your mom?"
         "Mum doesn't question Father." He hissed. For a moment there was no sound but his breathing, and for a moment, her eyes consumed him.
         She was about to tell him that he was hurting her when her whole world came to a stop.
         He leaned his head down, and kissed her.

To be continued . . .

-The quote in red is an exchange between Wolverine and Jean Gray from the first X-Men movie.